Emily Gaffney
MA, MT-BC, DIR-A
she/her
Director & Music Therapist
Emily Gaffney, a board-certified music therapist, started Colors of Music in 2024 to bring accessible creative arts therapy to the South Jersey area. Emily is passionate about using a developmental approach, influenced by her advanced training in DIR/Floortime, a client-led play therapy that stresses the importance of the client/clinician relationship. Emily believes creative arts therapy can be effective for everyone, regardless of developmental level or communication differences, which makes it such a beautiful modality for mental health support.
Who have you worked with as a creative arts therapist and for how long?
My clinical work has been at the Rebecca School in NYC, a DIR/Floortime private school for children with developmental disabilities, psychiatric hospitals in both North Jersey and Philadelphia, Able Arts Work in Long Beach, CA, working with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as children in a Head Start school, and in private practice with Colors of Music.
Where did you go to school, and what was one of your biggest takeaways from your education there?
I received my Bachelor of Music in classical voice performance from Boston University and Master of Arts in music therapy from Montclair State University. My undergraduate relationship to music revolved around perfectionism and performance, which could be stressful and self-serving. When I went to grad school, I was able to heal my relationship with music, use my voice in a less constricted way, and use my talents for others as well as myself.
What's your favorite internship or practicum experience?
I had the opportunity to practice on both the East & West coasts with pioneers in the music therapy profession. Being able to live in many major cities throughout my 20s, I was privileged to see how different cultures & communities relate to and engage in musical experiences and how societal and systemic structures influence individuals' mental health.
What are some activities you do during your sessions?
I strive to provide a space where my client(s) and I can engage in musical togetherness, in whatever form that may be. It could be through playlist creation, songwriting, music-making, and much more!
What's a meaningful professional experience that you've had?
I find meaning in providing a space for clients to showcase talents, ways of communicating, and feelings of regulation that they may not experience in other aspects of life.
What brings you joy outside of your professional life?
I find joy in cuddling & playing with my cat named Kitty, being in nature, going to art museums (I always get emotional when I see a Rothko), watching films, and painting.
More About Emily
Emily Gaffney is a board-certified music therapist and Director of Colors of Music. Emily is passionate about providing creative arts therapy services to those in need in an accessible and developmentally appropriate way. Emily is an advocate for neurodiversity acceptance and maintains a humanistic therapeutic outlook.
